Network Addresses in Computer Networking

Network Addresses

• Components enabling device communication in networking.

  • Two primary types of network addresses:

  • Physical addresses

  • Logical addresses

Physical Addresses

• Unique codes (MAC address) hardcoded into each device's NIC.

  • Example format: 70-D9-58-36-C2-EE

  • Split into six parts of two hexadecimal characters each.

• Characteristics:

  • Duration: Permanent and hardcoded to NIC.

  • Use case: Local network communication.

  • Notation: Represented in hexadecimal format.

  • Assigned by NIC manufacturer.

Logical Addresses

• Unique IP address required for every network device.

  • Can change via network admin or DHCP system.

• Common format: IPv4 addresses.

  • Example format: 192.168.1.1

  • Written in dotted decimal notation with four groups (octets) of 8 bits each.